Hunter Legally Shoots Rare White Deer in Wisc. — So Why Are the Locals Calling It a ‘Moral Issue’?

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Last week, local news out of Wisconsin began reporting about the outrage of residents in Sauk County over the legal shooting of white deer.

Although not against the law to shoot the animals, the Baraboo News Republic (via the Wisconsin State Journal) called it a violation of the area’s “informal code.” And although the hunters were out-of-towners, they were reportedly seasonal regulars who should have known better:

“They’ve been hunting here for years and coming into our bar. They know how we feel,” said Amy Sprecher, owner of Sprecher’s Bar in Leland, about the Fond du Lac hunters who left town Saturday after one of them shot a white deer outside Leland.

One of the white deer shot this month in Wisconsin. (Image: Channel 3000 screenshot)

Technically, in most parts of the state it would have been illegal to shoot the animals with a genetic defect that results in a primarily white coat, but the News Republic noted this does not apply in chronic wasting disease management zones, which included Leland. Even if it was shot in a restricted zone, the DNR came out to say it’s not a true albino either given a brown spot in its hair and lack of pink facial features.

Another deer that was killed by the hunters. (Image: Channel 3000 screenshot)

Still, DNR Law Enforcement Bureau Assistant Chief Karl Brooks told the News Republic that the killing of white deer is a “social issue” in the area.